Model Comparison

Gemma 3 12B vs Grok-4Which is better in 2026?

Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is 96.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs Grok-4 — which is better?

Gemma 3 12B (by Google) and Grok-4 (by xAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-4 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench). Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Gemma 3 12B is roughly 96.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok-4 also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemma 3 12B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 96.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok-4 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
Want to compare interactively?Try the playground

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-4 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench).

Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemma 3 12B costs less

For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 60.0x cheaper than Grok-4 ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 150.0x cheaper than Grok-4 ($15.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-4 is more expensive than Gemma 3 12B.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input tokens$0.05
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerDeepinfra
xAI
Grok-4
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok-4 accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 12B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-4 is limited to 8,000 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
xAI
Grok-4
Input256,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemma 3 12B and Grok-4 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemma 3 12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-4

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while Grok-4 uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Gemma 3 12B

Gemma

Open weights

Grok-4

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while Grok-4 was released on 2025-07-09.

Grok-4 is 4 months newer than Gemma 3 12B.

Gemma 3 12B

Mar 12, 2025

1.3 years ago

Grok-4

Jul 9, 2025

11 months ago

3mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-12-31, while Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok-4's training data extends to 2024-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date.

Gemma 3 12B

—

Grok-4

Dec 2024

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 12B is available from DeepInfra. Grok-4 is available from xAI.

Gemma 3 12B

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M

Grok-4

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Google
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (256,000 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (87.5% vs 40.9%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (79.0% vs 24.6%)
GoogleGemma 3 12B
xAIGrok-4
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 12B
xAI
Grok-4

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs Grok-4.

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or Grok-4?

Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is made by Google and Grok-4 is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 3 12B compare to Grok-4 in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 12B scores GSM8k: 94.4%, IFEval: 88.9%, DocVQA: 87.1%, BIG-Bench Hard: 85.7%, HumanEval: 85.4%. Grok-4 scores AIME 2025: 91.7%, HMMT25: 90.0%, GPQA: 87.5%, LiveCodeBench: 79.0%, Humanity's Last Exam: 40.0%.

Is Gemma 3 12B cheaper than Grok-4?

Gemma 3 12B is 60.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 12B costs $0.05/M input and $0.10/M output via deepinfra. Grok-4 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 12B and Grok-4?

Gemma 3 12B supports 131K tokens and Grok-4 supports 256K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemma 3 12B and Grok-4?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 256K), input pricing ($0.05 vs $3.00/M), licensing (Gemma vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 12B and Grok-4?

Gemma 3 12B is developed by Google and Grok-4 is developed by xAI.

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